


we lay here, for years or for hours

by katwow



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, OR IS IT, too bad Sokka is always around...., zuko needs sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26384782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katwow/pseuds/katwow
Summary: Five times Zuko falls asleep in front of Sokka, and one time it's the other way aroundZuko is tired, Sokka is visiting, and they can't communicate unless someone is half-asleep
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 194





	we lay here, for years or for hours

**Author's Note:**

> zukka nation rise! title from in a week by Hozier. 
> 
> Inspired by the beautiful art by rumble-bee-art on tumblr.. go check it out it's so good: https://rumble-bee-art.tumblr.com/post/624196275954483200/being-fire-lord-is-a-tiring-business-so-zuko-tends
> 
> enjoy how i took long-haired tired Zuko and ran with it

i.

Zuko had just meant to finish reading the last few scrolls before bed, but his eyelids grew heavier with each character. It didn’t help that his exhaustion was dimming the candles that adorned the nearest side table, or that he had moved to the cushy armchair in the corner some time ago. The reports were boring, all about agrarian reform and economic losses following the Fire Nation’s withdrawal from the Earth Kingdom, and eventually Zuko’s breathing slowed and his eyes shut.

Some hours later, he jerked awake at the sound of movement in his chambers. He was too tired to deal with an assassination attempt, and the scrolls that littered his floor would surely hamper any fighting, but he had recently become a light sleeper and was soon fully awake.

‘Who is it! Show yourself.’ he commanded, biting back a yawn as he jumped into his stance. He relit the candles around the room as an afterthought, and flushed as Sokka’s shocked face appeared from the gloom.

‘Hey Zuko!’ he smiled mischievously, ‘It's just me. We’ve finally arrived, Katara and Aang are busy unpacking’ he explained hurriedly, a blush rising on his cheek. 

Zuko slumped back into his chair, holding the bridge of his nose in irritation. His friends were fond of showing up unannounced, tackling him to the floors as he walked through the palace or poking their head into the Council Room during important meetings. Sokka was no exception, and his visits often caused undue harm to the Palace as he conspired with Toph to elicit the most shock from Zuko.

‘What are you doing in my room in the middle of the night, Sokka?’ Zuko asked exasperatedly. ‘This could have waited until morning.’ He hid a grin in a yawn, secretly pleased to see Sokka and have him alone in his chambers.

At this, Sokka grinned sheepishly. ‘I thought I’d deliver the news personally. You should be up soon anyways, its nearly sunrise!’ He grinned, looking right at home as he stood in the middle of Zuko’s room looking pleased with himself.

‘The sun’s almost up? Oh agni, I’ve got about a thousand meetings today - and I still haven’t finished reading these scrolls!’ He scrambled to sweep the scrolls onto his desk, straightening his robes as he marched to the door.

‘Zuko, chill, you’ve still got plenty of time. I bet the other councillors haven’t read any of these.’ He gestured to the papers that littered every inch of his desk and side table. ‘Here, let me help you,’ he reached over to help organise the scrolls, waving away Zuko’s hands as he worked methodically to stack them on the shelves.

Zuko felt completely wrecked, embarrassed that he had fallen asleep while reading. He rubbed his eyes sleepily as he slouched into his armchair. Sokka looked at him curiously, his eyes soft.

‘Zuko, please don’t tell me you slept in that chair all night’ he despaired, clearly resuming his usual criticism of Zuko’s less than ideal sleeping habits. ‘Why you kill yourself over a bunch of stuffy councillors, I’ll never know.’

Zuko yawned, explaining the importance of reparations and military reform to Sokka as he stretched and walked to his mirror, pulling his dishevelled hair out of its topknot. Sokka hummed along to his rambling, smiling softly as he watched Zuko fiddle with his clip. 

‘Here, let me-‘ Sokka reached for his thick hair, twisting it up into a topknot and pinning it in place. Zuko blushed, unsure why his stomach swooped at the rush of Sokka’s breath next to his ear.

Clearing his face, he turned to Sokka amicably, offering his arm as they strolled out to meet Katara and Aang in the Council Room.

ii.

After a particularly foul argument with his councillors, Zuko retreated to the gardens, hoping the turtleducks would calm him with their gentle quacks. He was loathe to disturb his friends while in such a bad mood and instead stopped by the kitchen for some bird feed on his way to the royal gardens. 

He sat at the edge of the pond, willing his breathing to slow until he was no longer uncomfortably warm and smelling of smoke. The gentle ripple of the water soothed him, and as he settled and began feeding the turtleducks he pulled his hair free from its topknot.

He was pulled out of his sleep by a soft thud, and he had to sweep his hair out of his eyes to assess the scene in front of him. Sokka had apparently fallen on his ass and Toph laughed mischievously next to him, clearly finding pleasure in Sokka’s pain. Zuko rose cautiously, offering his outstretched hand to a blushing Sokka. He raised his eyebrow curiously as Sokka averted his eyes.

‘Toph, when did you get here?’ Zuko turned away from Sokka, who was acting decidedly weird. 

She punched his arm as she answered ‘Only a few hours ago. Sokka here offered to help me find you since you missed lunch and weren’t in your rooms.’

‘I must have fallen asleep’ he explained, smiling at Toph. He was happy to see her after their time apart.

‘Your hair- it’s- it’s gotten very long!’ Sokka exclaimed, still flushed from his neck to his ears. Zuko didn’t know what to make of it and assumed he must have done something stupid just minutes before he woke up.

Toph snickered, grabbing Zuko’s arm as she steered him back towards the palace. 

iii.

It was Toph’s idea, and one that Aang and Katara enthusiastically agreed upon. Before he knew it, Sokka was carrying piles of bedding in from their guest quarters, Aang floating the pillows along behind him. Toph was standing on Zuko’s bedding, bossing everyone around as Katara set to work arranging everything just so (she had, after all, set up camp each night back in the war).

By the time Zuko emerged from his meeting, the guards outside his door looked scared and began apologising as he approached his door. Confused, he pushed past them and into his disheveled room. Sheepish, the four stopped their frantic preparations and Aang stepped forward.

Bowing lowly and affecting a serious tone, Aang didn’t rise from his bend as he addressed the teenager: ‘Firelord Hotman, we apologise for the incomplete decorations but it was brought to our attention that today is your birthday and as such we have coordinated a-’

‘A pillow fort!’ said Sokka, eyes bright with mirth. The other three broke into matching grins, and soon Zuko was unable to contain his grin as he surveyed his friends' handiwork. There was even a platter of fruits and snacks in the middle of their ‘fort’, and after a few seconds of fake disapproval, he joined his friends atop the pillows.

He was delighted at the thought that they had remembered even when he didn’t. Birthdays weren’t very important when banished from your home and searching for a legend, but Uncle had always managed to share some small celebration with him. He let himself bask in the warmth of his friends, pleased that they had broken into his bedroom for such an elaborate and childish plan despite his pretense of maturity.

This was the first time in months, possibly his entire reign, that he had permission to be a teenager again. He laughed quietly as Katara and Aang recounted a story about Sokka’s failed attempts to seduce a group of Earth Kingdom warriors, ignoring the clenching of his heart as he tried to focus on Aang’s lopsided smile and Toph’s good natured aggression.

Funnily enough, Sokka kept jumping into the story, explaining that he had just been practicing his Haiku skills after his brief but glorious success in Ba Sing Se. Zuko could have sworn that Sokka was blushing, bashful for once as he downplayed his charm in stark contrast to his usual air of cool confidence. Zuko shrugged it off and resolved to talk to Katara about his apparent lack of self esteem later.

As they settled down into the blankets sometime in the night, Zuko pictured Sokka’s nervous smile, wondering if the warmth that curled around his heart at Sokka’s every move was normal.

Suddenly, he was in front of the entire Fire Nation awaiting his first Agni Kai. Thirteen again, he breathed deeply as he turned to face his opponent, but instead of the general he saw his own father’s face sneering down at him. Dumbstruck, he could only stand paralysed as he sent a blast of fire at his face.

He woke up panting hard, Sokka’s hand on his shoulder. They were face to face, only inches from each other as Zuko panicked, pulling away jerkily and backing into the corner of the fort. He pressed his hands into his eyes, breathing rapidly as he willed his tears not to spill.

‘It was just a dream, Zuko. You’re safe. We’re all here to protect you. Breathe with me, okay buddy?’

Sokka followed him, eyes wide as he settled beside Zuko and began breathing deeply, exaggerating his every move as he leant towards him. Zuko slowly withdrew his hands from his eyes, setting them in his lap as he tried to follow Sokka’s breath. After a few minutes of this, he turned to face Sokka, ignoring the renewed sense of anxiety as he stared into his deep blue eyes.

‘Hey’ Sokka smiled goofily, his eyes tired but his smile genuine.

‘Sorry’ Zuko mumbled, hands fiddling in his lap, ‘Bad dream’ he smiled weakly.

‘Happens to the best of us. Can’t count the number of times I’ve had to talk Katara and Aang down over the past three months’ here he pauses. ‘I’ve missed you. We all have, but with no one else to talk to about swords, I've been especially missing my buddy.'

Zuko blushed. 'I've missed you too. All of you. It's nice to take a break for once, even if you directly prevent me from my Firelord duties' Zuko muttered.

‘Alright Mr Hotman, no need to get all angry.’ he chuckled ‘I just wanted to say…’ Sokka trailed off, eyes averted to his friend’s cocoon where they all slept soundly. Zuko’s heart squeezed in his chest at his sudden apprehension, his confessional tone causing turtleducks to stomp around his torso.

Before he could continue, Toph stirred. ‘Go back to sleep, you losers’ she murmured, and Zuko, unwilling to upset the beast that is Toph on less than eight hours of sleep, crept back into his part of the cocoon. Sokka settled in beside him, and soon, with the weight of Sokka’s arm barely brushing his own, Zuko slowed his breathing until sleep overtook him once more.

iv.

A few months after his 18th birthday, Sokka had decided to pay him another visit. Zuko was listening to yet another elderly councillor drone on about taxes and tariffs when Sokka burst through the door, startling the guards out of their stiff stance as he bounded into Zuko’s office.

‘Excuse me, councillor. Could we continue this tomorrow?’ he wasn’t really asking, but struggled to remain firm through the smile that was slowly blooming at the sight of his friend.

The councillor packed up and left shortly, leaving Sokka to flop into the chair across from Zuko. He grinned widely at Zuko, causing his heart to contract as he subconsciously beamed back.

‘Sokka Water Tribe! How lovely to see you.’

‘Fire Lord Hotman, it’s been so long’ Sokka smirked back, and Zuko blushed. ‘Glad to see you haven’t burnt down the palace, and that your guards are still scared of an eighteen year old dork.’ He eyed the scrolls lining the walls at this.

Zuko tried to act annoyed, he really did, but all he could do was grin as he guided Sokka out into the grounds. ‘Some of the staff still haven’t stopped bowing, nevermind that I’m one of the youngest people here most days. And I am not a dork! I just happen to enjoy learning history since most of what I learned as a child was blatant propaganda. You should know best - trying to build your tribe’s trust for the Fire Nation after decades of oppression.’

Sokka just laughed, satisfied with Zuko’s spirited response to his teasing. They continued amicably, hands brushing every so often in a way that sent fire coursing through Zuko’s veins. He thought, for a second, that the softness in Sokka’s eyes might have been directed at him, but when drawn out of his daydream he realised that Sokka was talking about Suki.

‘We tried to make it work after the war, but it turns out the Kyoshi Warriors are in high demand at the moment as chaos continues in the Earth Kingdom. I’m pretty busy too, my dad’s just come home to help rebuild our tribe, so we decided to end things between us.’ Sokka must have noticed Zuko’s blatant lack of focus and paused, eyebrow raised.

Zuko scrambled to respond without betraying his silent glee that Sokka was no longer dating Suki, and since when did he actively hope that his friends would end up unhappy? In the end, he choked out ‘that’s rough buddy’, schooling his expression into something a little more sympathetic. 

Sokka smiled, and Zuko was relieved that his cover wasn’t blown. They looped back towards the Palace, Sokka complaining loudly about his rumbling stomach as he tugged on Zuko’s arms. Zuko grinned at the warmth that grew the longer he spent around the other boy, listening intently to his ridiculous stories about Katara and Aang’s burgeoning relationship.  
  
Some time later, stomach full and heart content having spent his entire afternoon away from the oppressive throne room, Zuko drifted into sleep as Sokka told a particularly soothing story about his grandmother’s reaction to his father’s return. He hummed here and there, thinking he would only rest his eyes for a few seconds but soon succumbing to the wave of exhaustion that crested in rare moments of peace.

He started, jostled awake by Sokka. Sokka, who was now carrying him like a baby through the palace. He wriggled in the tribesman’s tan arms, and Sokka smiled down at him.

‘Shhh, go back to sleep’ he whispered.

‘Sokka. Put me down right now’ Zuko struggled to keep his voice down as he panicked, sure that his affection would be obvious in the dark of night.

Sokka reluctantly released him, but left his arm across his shoulders under the pretense of holding him up.

Rubbing his eyes, he asked ‘what time is it?’

‘Around midnight, I think. You must have been really tired - I tried to wake you but you wouldn’t move. Exactly how much sleep have you been getting recently?’ Sokka turned stern, and Zuko blushed at Sokka’s blatant concern for his wellbeing.

‘Firebenders rise early, you know that. And it turns out that running a country when you’re seventeen and spent three years in exile after betraying the previous firebird doesn’t bode well for political trust.’ If he was truthful, he hadn’t slept properly since his birthday, and even then he had woken from a nightmare much like other nights. He supposed the only difference was that Sokka had been there to talk him down.

Sokka tsked and pushed open his bedroom door. ‘Well, tonight you’ll be catching up for lost time. No more reading, I think you’ve more than earned a good night sleep.’

Zuko puttered around aimlessly, half heartedly readying himself for bed but attempting to prolong Sokka’s departure. Finally, he arrived at his bedside and sighed.

His heart sank as he saw Sokka turn to the door, marching tiredly across the plush carpet. In a moment of weakness, or perhaps stupidity, he called out across his stupidly large chambers. ‘Sokka, wait. You should stay’

Unable to take the words back, he twisted his hands in the fabric at his waist. Sokka turned dumbly, shocked by the rare expression of need from the young prince.

‘I mean - your bedroom is so far, and it’s late, and the least I can do is offer you my bed after you carried me up here’ he rushed out, shocked at how easy it was to be completely carried away by his stupid crush on the boy.

Sokka seemed to snap out of his confusion at that, and began protesting hurriedly. 

‘Oh no, that’s okay Zuko, I’m just five minutes away, I can’t force you out of your bed knowing that you barely sleep anyways. Besides, I’ll probably sleep much later than you and you shouldn’t need to creep around me and-’

‘Sokka, really, it’s okay. I honestly sleep better when you’re around’ too tired to care about the implications of his latest slip of the tongue, he climbed into bed and patted the space next to him, unwilling to fight over the uncomfortable couch and delay the sleep that he so desperately needed.

Mutely, dark skin flushed, Sokka undid his boots and climbed in beside Zuko. Lying prone, he seemed to avoid Zuko’s spread-eagled form, but Zuko just drifted off, absorbing the safety that accompanied Sokka’s solid presence at his side.

v.

They sit around the campfire late at night, each one exhausted from their day spent lounging on the beach as Aang and Toph pulled many bending-related pranks. Zuko lit the fire, allowing the fire to turn pink and blue at the edges, to the delight of Sokka and Katara.

He was comfortable, glad to be out of the Palace for a rare moment of comfort among friends. He was grateful, too, glad to be forgiven for his absence since the war and allowed a short break from his political duties to relax, for once. 

Toph and Aang started a rousing chorus of ‘The girls from Ba Sing Se’, retreating back to the house in search of more snacks. As the older teenagers drew closer to the fire, Sokka stretched his arms above his head, groaning as a strip of his midriff was exposed. Zuko’s heart swooped pathetically as he averted his eyes, staring into the fire as a blush rose on his cheeks. The trio remained quiet, the sound of the crackling fire soothing with the gentle sound of the waves behind them.

Contented, Zuko leaned back against his chair, staring out into the sky. Before long, his eyes were drooping, but before he settled into the pull of sleep, Sokka sat beside him and pressed close, gently nudging his side.

‘Don’t fall asleep on us yet!’ he joked, turning to face the sky alongside Zuko. Warmth bloomed from the places their skin met, and Zuko smiled despite his nerves.

‘‘m tired’ he mumbled, contented.

‘Look, do you see that bright star up there?’ Sokka pointed lazily into the sky, a smile spreading slowly across his face. ‘That’s polaris, the brightest star in the sky. It’s the first star I learnt about as a kid, and whenever we go out fishing it’s our main point of navigation. It’s always been a symbol of unity between the Northern and Southern Water tribes, a connection that can’t be broken.’

Sokka’s voice was soft and low, speaking so that only Zuko could hear him, and Zuko suddenly felt that they were the only two people in the world. Sokka certainly made him feel that way. 

Eventually, lulled by the low rumble of Sokka’s voice as it reverberated through his skin where they were connected, Zuko drifted off.

+i.

Katara burst through the doors of the Palace, Aang trailing her while levitating what looked like a body through the door.

‘Someone clear a table!’ Katara yelled, Zuko standing suddenly from his desk as he swept its contents to the floor. Completely startled, he barely had time to register their arrival before Sokka was lowered to the table before him.

‘Katara… what happened?’ he asked, dumbstruck and paralysed by the fear rushing through his veins. Sokka was barely conscious, blinking slowly at his surroundings in the low light. When he saw Zuko’s face looming over him, pale and scared, his face broke into a smile.

‘Hey, Zuko, how you doing’ he drawled goofily, to Katara’s horror.

‘He decided to fight some Ozai nationalists, firebenders, but there were way too many. Aang and I joined in when we found him, but he was pretty badly injured. Sokka, I need you to lay down quietly’ Katara turned to face her brother, pushing his shoulders back into the tabletop as he reached towards Zuko.

Zuko, eager to help but horrified at the thought of Sokka in pain, settled at his side, comforting Sokka and urging him to be still. Aang began removing Sokka’s vest, exposing singed flesh. The smell made Zuko gag.

‘It looks like it’s only reached the surface, and he’s pretty drugged up at the moment so I can get to work healing him. Aang, make sure he stays still while I work’ Katara spoke authoritatively, a slight tremor in her voice betraying her concern for her brother’s condition.

Zuko, meanwhile, was trying to entertain Sokka as best as he could. It turned out that Sokka was even funnier when high on whatever Iroh had added to the tea that he drank as he sped through the doors, and was easily amused as Zuko stroked his hair away from his face.

Sokka winced as Katara set to work, but kept his eyes on Zuko as he leant into the gentle touch. Zuko would have tried to entertain him with a firebending trick, but he was sure that the last thing Sokka wanted to see after having part of his lower abdomen burnt in a street scuffle was more fire.

Time dragged on, Zuko urging away a councillor or two as Katara tended to Sokka. Aang was her solemn assistant, fetching extra water as needed. They each settled into an uneasy silence, Zuko not daring to look at the wound.

Eventually, after what felt like hours but was probably only forty minutes, Katara stood back to admire her handiwork. Zuko tore his eyes away from Sokka’s face, where he had been watching for the slightest indication of pain, and saw the flesh almost perfect, only a slight scar remaining.

‘He should be alright after he gets some rest’ Katara chewed on her bottom lip, clearly concerned. ‘I’m not sure if we should move him, though.’

‘He can stay here for the night’ Zuko barely hesitated before offering his room. ‘I’ve got so much to read; it'll be no trouble to lend him my bed.’

Aang, reinvigorated by the success of Sokka’s treatment, smiled enthusiastically at Zuko. ‘That would be great! We can get blankets from the other rooms - we can all sleep over like we did on your birthday!’

Katara frowned, clearly conflicted. ‘No Aang, I think Sokka needs some quiet for the night.’ She turned to Zuko. ‘Do you need any extra bedding? We can bring some over from Sokka’s room if you’d like’

‘No, it should be fine. Like I said, I wouldn’t be getting much sleep anyway,’ he smiled weakly, suddenly drained from the intensity of his afternoon.

After a few minutes of hemming and hawing on the part of Katara, who checked Sokka’s nonexistent scar a few rimes, she and Aang left. They would be back in the morning to check on Sokka.

The weight of the evening settled on Zuko, and it wasn’t lost on him that their roles had now been reversed. Where Sokka had once been lulling Zuko to sleep with his soft words, Zuko would be at his bedside, comforting Sokka. 

He tucked him in tightly, shushing the boy’s murmurs as he warmed the air a little with his firebending. He dragged his armchair across the room so that he could sit beside Sokka, unravelling a scroll as he petted his hair.

After so long fearing physical touch, he was still surprised that it could be so easy with Sokka. He could reach out, and would always find the other boy waiting, happy to settle under his arm or press close as they strolled through the grounds. Once again, he was struck with immense gratitude for his friends, the joy and forgiveness they offered as if it was as easy as breathing.

Retreating to the drudgery of international diplomacy, he scribbled a few notes in the margins as he read, the low light of the candles causing tension to form under his brow. As the moonlight grew stronger and his eyes grew tired, he was surprised to hear rustling from the mass of blankets and heat beside him.

Sokka mumbled, scarcely loud enough for Zuko to hear as he stretched his arms slowly, wincing as his bruises made themselves known. He settled back into the pillows, and, realising where he was, flushed a little.

‘Hey sleepyhead’ Zuko smiled, hair escaping his topknot as the hours wore on. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘I’m bruised all over. How did I get here?’ mouth agape, he was the picture of shock. 

Zuko sighed and put away his scrolls, back cracking as he unfolded himself from the chair. ‘Well, somebody thought it would be a good idea to pick a fight with some Ozai loyalists, not realising that those idiots are completely ruthless and show absolutely zero mercy.’

Sokka winced, sensing the lecture that was coming his way. Zuko softened immediately, returning to his side to help him into a seated position. ‘Easy there, ambassador. Katara managed to sort you out, but I think Iroh’s tea is wearing off’

‘Yeah, me too,’ he groaned as he tested his range of movement, stretching his neck. The tan flesh was inviting, and Zuko hurried to his dresser to prevent himself from doing anything stupid and life-ruining like burying his face in it.

Zuko busies himself with preparing for bed, changing his robes and brushing his hair. The only sound was Sokka’s gentle breathing and Zuko’s comb as he slowly worked out the kinks. Eventually, he turned back to Sokka and headed for the chair beside him, dragging an extra blanket with him.

‘Oh shit, sorry dude. You can have your bed back, I’ll sleep in the armchair.’ Sokka looked sheepish at that, only then realising the implications of his presence in the Fire Lord’s chambers in the dead of night.

‘No, no, the least I can do to repay you is let you borrow my bed. It’s nearly morning, I’ll be up soon anyways’.

Sokka’s brow creased with worry. ‘You know I would do it again, right?’ he mumbled. ‘They were disrespecting you, questioning your honour, and I couldn’t let that go down without a fight.’ Here he smiled weakly, ‘besides, if anyone needs sleep it’s you. I could see those eye bags from a mile away.’

Zuko ignored the joke, deliberately pursuing the least comfortable line of conversation despite the out offered by Sokka. Any other day, he would have joked along with the tribesman, but he had so recently risked his life for Zuko’s reputation and that didn’t seem fair.

‘Sokka, you really shouldn’t be risking your life for me. Least of all to protect my honor’ he grimaced at the mention of his honor, the word bringing back memories of his childish obsession with the Avatar.

Sokka’s face grew suddenly serious. ‘I mean it Zuko. You’re the only one who’s treated me as an equal, taken me seriously even though I’m not a bender. I couldn’t imagine how this war would have ended without you, without one person who truly fights for what’s best for the Fire Nation’

Zuko felt that same warmth curl around his heart, threatening to burn him alive at the gravity of Sokka’s words. He let the praise sink into his skin, allowing, for one second, the depth of his affection show plainly across his face. Sokka relaxed, content that Zuko wasn’t protesting the same way he would have done a few months ago.

He settled into the chair, only to find Sokka staring at him incredulously as he tried to make himself comfortable enough to sleep while upright. 

‘You’re not seriously going to sleep there, are you?’ Sokka groaned angrily.

‘It’s quite comfortable, actually, I can’t count the number of times I’ve fallen asleep here while reading’ Zuko blushed slightly.

‘Zuko, just get into bed. Don’t even try to argue, it’s late and we both need to sleep’ Sokka turned onto his back as Zuko hesitantly slid into bed beside him.

He tried to keep a few centimetres away from Sokka, cautious as he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. With a huff, Sokka turned towards him, drawing him close as his arm wrapped around his torso.

Zuko tried to calm his nerves, breathing deeply to control his heart rate, but before long, Sokka was withdrawing, looking him in the eyes as Zuko stared resolutely at the ceiling. 

‘Hey, Zuko, come here’ Sokka whispered, voice barely audible.

Zuko turned, and saw that they were much closer than he had thought. His breath caught in his throat, but as he looked to Sokka’s eyes (when had they gotten so blue?) the boy was staring right at him.

He leaned forward subconsciously, transfixed by the gentle expression on Sokka’s face as illuminated by the pale moonlight. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he tried to take it all in - the warmth where they touched, the kindness in his eyes and the gentle smile on his mouth.

‘Zuko, is it alright if I kiss you now?’

‘Yes’ Zuko breathed, and as their lips met soft and warm he was delighted to feel the younger boy curl closer to him, holding each other tight in his bed.

Before long, they broke apart with matching soppy smiles. Zuko’s eyes were drooping despite the intense joy coursing through his veins, and he smiled into the crook of Sokka’s neck.

‘Thank you’ he whispered, not sure that Sokka would hear him.

‘I’d do it again’ he smiled, and they drifted off to sleep, holding hands while they pressed together.

**Author's Note:**

> comments, asks, messages and more greatly appreciated here or at my tumblr zukka-supremacy.tumblr.com


End file.
